Knitting machine and method of knitting



' April 27, 1943. H. M. suEss KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING -Filed May 7, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 70 I INVENTOR ATTORNEY 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 auuz o 3.55 95.20 228 manual April 27, 1943. H. M. SUESS KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed 'M'ay 7, 1958 am :3 mo jouhzou mmnza 2953 {EEK April 27, 1943., H. M. SUESS 2,317,417

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 7, 1938 9 Sheefs-Sheet s INVENTOR April 27, 1943. H. M. SUESS 1 I KNITTJING MACHINE AND METITIOD OF KNITTING I Filed May '7, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 I April 27, 1943.

H. M. SUESS KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 7, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTO ATTORNEY April 27, 1943 H. M. suEss KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 7, 195a April 27, 1943. su ss I 2,317,417

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 7, 1938 9 Sheets-anaet 7 F/c .30 A Hg. 2 7'' H 29 INVENTOR Aprii 27, 1943. H. M. SUESS I KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 7, 1958 Aprifl 27 11943., H. M. SUESS 2,317,417

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May '7, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD or KNITTING 33 Claims.

My invention is an improved apparatu for and method of knitting fabrics, and especially delicate fabric having sinker loops slightly narrower or tighter than the needle loops and having its loops formed from such very tenuous and somewhat stretchy and resilient yarns as are used in ladies full fashioned fine gauge silk stockmgs.

The production of coarse knitted fabric by bending or undulating coarse yarn successively between consecutive needles by means of sequentially moving measuring sinkers to form contiguous sinuous bends or waves, Without interruption or interval, on needles movable in a single plane has long been known.

Such machines, however, cannot make fine fabrics for if their sinkers and sinker actuators and supports are of sufficient thickness to properly abut and to withstand the stresses to which they are subjected they form loops much larger than is permissible in making fine, cliaphanous silk stockings. Modern silk stockings are generally made on machines having from 2-8 needles per inch (42 gauge) to needles per inch (60 gauge) in which the distance between adjacent needle centers and between adjacent sinker centers is from .03571" to .025. To provide an individually movable measuring sinker for each needle would necessitate having the combined thickness of a sinker butt and a wall of its groove no greater than such center to center distance, and such thicknesses of butt and wall cannot withstand the impact of a sinker actuating jack or the side thrust against the sinker. The combined thickness of a jack and jack spacer would also have to be no greater than the center to center distance and such thicknesses would be entirely inadequate to give the requisite strength, rigidity and accuracy of operation essential to the operation of the parts.

En masse-movable dividing sinkers have hitherto been interposed between the equentially movable measuring sinkers because of the above noted impracticability of providing sinkers and sinker actuators and mountings therefor of sumcient strength and rigidity within the limited space available and of advancing the sinkers with the requisite lead over one another to properly kink the yarn. The incorporation of such en masse dividing sinkers, however, involves the movement, by a slur, of each measuring sinker a distance sufiicient to measure off more yarn than required for a single loop and necessitates a long lead of one measuring sinker over the next succeeding measuring sinker. It also involves the bending of the yarn sections initially around two large bends are initially formed. Such en massemovement of the dividing sinkers is commonly effected by a catch bar permanently connected with the dividing sinkers and intermittently connected with the measuring sinkers.

While the incorporation of en masse dividing sinkers permits fabrication of line gauge machines and fabrics, the initial laying of yarn around a plurality of needles tends to pull such needles together laterally, and the yarn laid and knitted by such apparatus is given false kinks during the measuring and initial kinking of dampened silk between non-consecutive needles, is subjected to a robbing and reeving action during dividing, and is subjected to varying degrees of tension between the laying thereof by the yarn carrier under predetermined tension and the knitting of the kinked yarn through the loops of the fell course of the previously knitted fabric. The fabric is pulled back and forth during the kinking and knitting of each new course of yarn with consequent distortion of loops. The false kinks, reeving, tension variations in the yarn, and the pulling back and forth of the fabric, result in defects in the finished pro-duct, which, individu ally considered, are exceedingly minute but; which in the aggregate deleteriously affect the uniformity, clearness and strength of fabrics knitted from moistened fine silk yarns.

My invention provides a fine gauge full-fashioned knitting machine by which a uniformly tensioned yarn may be sequentially and evenly kinked by consecutively movable measuring sinkers around consecutive needles, the needles being movable en masse to effect the locking of the yarn in the needle hooks and to tauten the fell loops of the previously knitted fabric, through which the new course of loops is drawn without any deforming disturbance of their initial size, shape, or tension.

My invention further provides a knitting machine in which the sinker lead usually required is materially reduced but in which each sinker has sufficient lead over the next consecutive sinker to insure the completion of the measurement and kinking of one yarn section past one needle before extraneous tension is applied to the yarn, or bending'moment is applied to the needles, by the contact of the next consecutive sinker therewith, even when sinking deep kinks for loose knitting, and even though the measuring sinkers are so closely positioned to one another that the yarn is bent past its resiling limit and the kinks consequently have a lasting set.

My invention further provides a knitting machine having consecutively adjacent sinkers each having a butt with front and rear impact surfaces for engagement by an actuator, such as a jack, and engagement with a stop, such as a verge plate. These impact surfaces, sometimes herein referred to as jack faces and verge faces, are each as wide as or wider than the center to center distance between sinkers or between sinker slots or slideways. The impact surfaces of each sinker are referably formed by securing to each of the opposite sides of each sinker a re-enforcing member extending from the zone of the rear edge of the sinker butt engaged by its jack to the zone of the forward edge of the sinker butt which engages the verge plate' Such reenforcing member's project laterally from the sinker a distance on each side equal to or greater than half the thickness of the respective walls forming the sinker slideway: such walls preferably being of the thickness usual in machines requiring en masse movable dividing sinkers. The reenforcing members on juxtaposed sides of ad- "jacent sinkers each projects toward the adjacent sinker more than one-half the distance between the sinkers but lie wholly or partly in different planes so as to permit relative rectilineal movement between adjacent sinkers at least equal to the requisite lead of one sinker over the other, regardless of which sinker is the leading sinker. The sinkers may therefore be considered complementary pairs of sinkers, one of which has a high cut forward edge and the other of which may have a lower cut forward edge to permit its projection past a stopped yarn guide of usual type. The reenforcement of at least one sinker of each pair may extend forwardly from the verge face toward the sinker nose. The sinker reenforcements may be of widely varied shapes, and the verge faces of adjacent sinkers may abut against the same verge plate or against different verge plates.

The actuators for the consecutive sinkers preferably comprise consecutively cam-operated consecutive jacks, each of which is supported against lateral thrust in either direction by stationary spacers with which both faces of the jacks preferably make sliding contact. Each jack and each spacer has a thickness greater than half the center to center distance between sinker slideways and preferably a thickness only sli htly less than such center to center distance. The spacers may be arranged in a single bank or bed and a plurality of jacks housed between juxtaposed surfaces of adjacent spacers, and the jacks in each such space may oscillate about the same axis or on different axes. But, if desired, the spacers may be arranged in two banks or beds and the spacers of one bed staggered relatively to the spacers of the other bed and in substantial registry with the spaces of the second bed. When a single jack bed is used, the jacks in each space act consecutively on the butts of sinkers comprised in a pair, and when two jack beds are used a jack in one bed acts on one sinker of a pair and the jack in the other bed acts then upon the other sinker of that pair.

When all of the jacks are housed in a single jack bed, one jack in each space constitutes one set of jacks for operating one of each pair of sinkers and the other jack in each space constitutes a second set of jacks for operating the other sinker of the pairs of sinkers.

Two cam surfaces operate the jacks of such respective sets when the slur moves in one direction and two other cam surfaces operate the jacks of the respective sets when the slur moves in the opposite direction. Each cam surface has a nadir which first engages a jack and an apex which completes the forward movement of the jack. The nadir of the cam surface engaging one set of jacks leads the nadir of the cam surface engaging the other set of jacks on movement of the slur in one direction, and the nadir of the cam surface engaging the first set of jacks trails the nadir of the cam surface engaging the second set of jacks on movement of the slur in the opposite direction. The last space in one side of the jack bed contains but one jack, which is similar to the last jack at the other end of the bed, and the sinkers at the opposite ends of the sinker bed are likewise similar to one another and complementary to the similar end jacks. The sinkers are actuated consecutively on movement of the slur in either direction, but on movement of the slur in one direction the apex of the cam surface actuating one set of sinkers leads the apex of the cam surface actuating the other set of sinkers, and on movement of the slur in the opposite direction the apex of the cam surface actuating the first set of sinkers trails the apex of the cam surface actuating the second set of sinkers.

The pair of cam surfaces for actuating one set of jacks may be adjusted in a direction toward and from the verge plate relative to the pair of cam surfaces for actuating the second set of jacks, so that the thrust imparted to each jack and therethrough to each sinker will be uniform.

When both sets of jacks are housed in the same jack bed, they may be biased by superposed springs substantially equal in width to a jack bed space and fixed to a rocking bar operable from the cam shaft. Such springs may be guided by the jacks themselves when both sets of jacks are mounted on the same shaft, or by the jack bed spacers when the jacks are mounted on different shafts.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention, the sinker butts have upward projections for engagement by a catch bar which is gradually moved forward during the couliering of the sinkers and while out of engagement with the butts thereof. Upon completion of couliering, the catch bar is moved downward, into engagement with the sinker butts, and the needle bar is moved downward, by the engagements of rollers on the catch bar lever and needle bar lever with cam surfaces of decreasing radius. The weight of the catch bar and needle bar mechanisms running down these inclined surfaces While the catch bar has no load biases the machine forward immediately at the conclusion of couliering and prevents the usual back lash which sometimes smashes sinkers and yarn guides in Cotton type machines.

As soon as the catch bar engages the sinkers, the radius of the surface of the catch bar cam begins to increase while the radius of the surface of the needle bar cam continues to decrease so that one cam action tends to balance the other and smooth the movements of the sinkers by the catch bar until the sinkers are all the way back and the needles are all the way down. Thereafter the surface of the catch bar cam gradually decreases in radius to move the catch bar and sinkers forward and the surface of the needle bar cam gradually increases in radius to move the needles up, thus tending to balance and render smooth the cam action. Thereafter both the needle bar cam and catch bar cam increase in radius just before the beginning of couliering so that the action of the cams tends to slightly retard the machine and prevent premature couliering as it has tended to bias the machine forward just after couliering to prevent backlash.

By my invention a moistened gum silk yarn may be laid along a bank of en masse movable knitting needles and kinked between consecutive needles to form consecutive kinks having such acute angles as to impart a lasting set to the yarn even when the kinks are very minute and closely spaced. Each kink is thus formed to its final size in a single movement of the yarn, without any false kinks or reeving, and the kinks are maintained of their initial size while being drawn downward through the fell loops of the previously knitted fabric, which are concurrently tautened by rocking the needles about a common axis.

Further characteristics, advantages and utilizations of my invention will further appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through a full-fashioned knitting machine having certain characteristics of the Cotton type and my improvements embodied therein, the

parts being shown positioned at the beginning of a couliering movement;

Figs. 1A and 1B are enlarged detached views of the needle bar up-and-down cam lever and of the catch bar shifting cam and lever shown in Fig. 1 but positioned at the end of couliering;

Fig. 1C is a diagrammatic view of the relative positions and actions of the surfaces of the cams shown in Figs. 1A and 1B at the end of couliering;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear vertical view showing the jack bed and sinker bed of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken away for clearer illustration;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary top plan view of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the laying of the yarn to the needles and the advance of consecutive sinkers one by one;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the jack bed and sinker bed showing the parts in position for the beginning of couliering, the jack bed end spacer or comb being broken away;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 with a comb in place beside the first jacks; the first jack and high sinker being advanced to its extreme forward position, and the second jack and low sinker being partly advanced;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 5 when the high and low sinker have both been fully advanced into engagement with the verge plate;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing the relations between a low sinker and a succeeding high sinker when the low sinker has been advanced against the verge plate and the succeeding high sinker is partly advanced toward the verge plate;

Fig. 8 is a top plan viewof a slur forming an actuator for my improved sinking mechanism;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the slur shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the slur shown in Fig. 8 indicating the cam surfaces which contact with the respective .sets of jacks;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the sequences of engagements of the cam surfaces with the respective jacks on movement of the slur in either direction;

Figs. 12 and 12A are respectively a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack spacer or comb for providing lateral support for the jacks;

Figs. 13 and 13A are respectively a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack for operating a high sinker;

Figs. 14 and 14A are respectively a side ,elevation and a rear edge view of a high sinker such as is operated by the jack shown in Figs, 13 and 13A;

Figs. 15 and 15A are respectively a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack for operating a low sinker;

Figs. 16 and 16A are respectively a side elevation and a rear edge view of a low sinker such as are operated by a jack shown in Figs. 15 and 15A;

Figs. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are diagrammatic views showing a cycle of movements of the knitting needles, sinkers and catch bar;

Fig. 23 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of my invention having jacks mounted on eccentric axes and actuated by a slur having adjustable cam surfaces;

Fig. 24 is a vertical elevation of the rear of the jacks, jack beds and jack springs shown in Fig. 23, parts being broken away;

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 23 with the sinkers advanced to their foremost positions in contact with the verge plates;

Fig. 26 is a detached top plan view of the adjustable slur, which is applicable to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 26 as well as to the construction shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25.

Fig. 2'? is a rear elevation of the slur shown in Fig. 26;

Fig. 28 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line AB of Fig. 26;

Figs. 29 and 29A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack spacer or comb such as shown in Figs. 23 to 25';

Figs. 30 and 30A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack for operating a high sinker such as shown in Figs. 23 to 25,;

Figs. 31 and 31A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a jack for operating a low sinker such as shown in Figs. 23 to 25;

Fig. 32 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a modified embodiment of my invention having the jack beds supported above and below the sinker plane and in which sinkers may be used having butts of less thickness than those above referred to;

Fig. 33 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the jack beds shown in Fig. 32;

Fig. 34 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the sinkers bed and sinkers shown in Fig, 32;

Fig. 35 is a fragmentary rear end view and Fig. 35A is a fragmentary top plan View of the upper cam shown in Fig. 32;

Fig. 36 is a fragmentary rear elevation; and Fig. 36A is a fragmentary top plan view of the lower cam shown in Fig. 32;

Fig. 37 is a side elevation and Fig. 37A is a rear elevation of the high sinker shown in Fig. 32;

Fig. 38 is a side elevation and Fig. 38A is a rear elevation of a low sinker shown inFig'. 3'2 39' is an endelevation, partly in section,

and Fig. 39A is a rear elevation, of a, modified sinker, sinker bed and verge plate construction which may be substituted for the sinker, sinker beds and verge plates shown in any of the previously illustrated apparatus;

Fig. 40 is a top plan view of a spring bar for positioning the secondary verge plate of Figs. 39 and 39A;

Figs. 41 and 41A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge View of the high sinker shown in Fig.- 39;

Figs. 42 and 42A are, respectivelmaside elevation and a rear edge view of the low sinker shown Fig. 39; 1

1 Fig. 43 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a modified form of a sinker, sinker bed and verge plate construction which may be substituted for similar parts in previously illustrated apparatus;

Figs. 44 and 44A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a high sinker shown in Fig. 43;

Figs. 45 and 45A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a low sinker shown in Fig. 43;

Fig. 46 is an end elevation and Fig. 46A is a fragmentary rear elevation of a further modified form of sinker and sinker bed suitable for substitution for similar parts in the previously illustrated apparatus;

Figs. 47 and 47A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of a high sinker shown in Fig. 46; and

Figs. 48 and 48A are, respectively, a side elevation and a rear edge view of'a low sinker shown in Fig. 46.

My improvements are particularly applicable to, and are illustrated in the drawings as embodied in, a knitting machine having some of the characteristics of the Cotton type commonly used in the knitting of fine silk hosiery and comprising a frame I having a longitudinal beam 2, forming a center bed, a longitudinal guide bar 3 on which are mounted slur-boxes 4 reciprocated by a slur bar 5, which is reciprocated by a usual coulier mechanism concurrently and in synchronism with the reciprocation of the usual frictionboX rod through which reciprocatory movements are imparted to the usual yarn carriers 1 to lay yarn along the bank of needles 8 which are movable en masse by the movements of the usual needle bar 9. catches, such as beards or latches. The movements of the friction red are imparted to the yarn carriers through usual friction boxes and carrier rods, Whose movements are controlled by end stops and narrowing mechanisms in the usual manner. A usual fabric take up roller A may also be provided.

The beam 2 supports a sinker bed (Figs. 2, 4, 5) consisting of a base I0 and a cap Iii, which contain the usual transverse slots II and II for the reception of sinker blades for sinking or kinking yarn laid by a carrier 1. The sinker bed may beof standard construction, but the base thereof is preferably made somewhat wider than usual so as to provide longer bearings for the lower edges of the sinker blades, which are movable therein one after another in sequence during couliering, to kinkthe yarn around-each consecutive needle in succession, and are mov- The needles have the usual able en masse during the knitting operation of' the needles.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1- to 22, inclusive, the initial complementary sinker slideways I I, I I contains a high sinker I2, the next complementary sinker slideways II, II contains a low sinker I3, and so on in alternation to the opposite end of the sinker bed, the last sinker in the bed being a high sinker I2.

Each sinker I2 has a forward portion similar to the forward portion of a standard type of jack sinker with a straight top edge forming a high point I4 and hence is designated a high sinker. The bottom of the yarn carrier 1 pro- J'ects slightly below the level of the points I4, so that the yarn laid thereby will initially lie on the tapered tops of nebs I5 and be engagedin the notches it on the forward movement of the sinke'rs I2.

The butt of the sinker has a boss I1 projecting upwardly from its top, near the rear thereof, but spaced inwardly from the rear end. The engagement of the front edge I8 of this boss with the verge plate I9 limits the forward movement of the sinker, and the upper portion of the boss is adapted to be engaged in the groove 20 of the catch bar ZI to effect the retraction and manipulation of the sinkers en masse. Reenforcing plates 22 are secured by rivets to the opposite sides of the sinker blades, the bottom edges of the reenforcing plates being spaced from the bottom edges of the sinker blades preferably a distance slightly greater than the depth of the slots II. The upper edges of the forward pro- .iections 22 of the reenforcing plates are spaced below the top edges of the sinker blades a distance sli htly greater than the depth of the slots II. The front edges of the upward projections 22'." of the reenforcing plates register with the front edge of th boss I1 so as to provide sufficient width and strength to withstand the impact against the verg plate IS. The rear edges of the body of the reenforcing plates register with the rear edge of the sinkers so as to provide a bearing surface of sufficient width and strength to withstand the impact of th actuator by which the sinkers are advanced one at a time in sequence. The thickness of each reenforci ng plate is not less than, and is preferably greaterthan, half the thickness of a wall between adjacent sinker slideways, andthe combined thickness of a sinker blade and its reenforcing plates adjacent the surfaces impacted by the actuator and the verge plate is not less than and is preferably greater than the center to center distance between adjacent slideways.

Each blade I3 has a forward portion similar in contour to a standard type of divider, that is, the front portion of its upper edge is cut away below th plane of movement of the bottom of the carrier I so that this blade may be advanced without interfering with the thread carrier when the latteris stopped in frontv of it. Hence it is designated a low sinker. Each sinker I3 has a notch or throat 24 similar in form and function to the notch or throat I6, and some of the sinkers I3 may also be prcvidedwith slots 25 for engaging the yarn and permit the formation of split fabrics and split suture fabrics. It is preferable not to have slots 25 in th sinkers adjacent the needles at the selvedges of the fabric. By the omission of such slots and by my single needle couliering, the kinking of yarn on both sides of the second needle in action is effected, as contrasted to the usual formation of a kink on. only one side thereof. The loop adjacent to the selvedge is thus of the same size and tension as the other loops in a course and the selvedge tends to lie fiat instead of curling.

The butt of each blade l3 has an upwardly extending projection 26 terminating in a boss 2'! and reenforced by plates 28 secured to the projection by rivets. The reenforcing plates are cut away at their forward lower edges to provide recesses permitting the movement of the upward projections 22 of th plates 22 beneath the forward portions of the plates 28. The forward edges of the reenforcing plates 28 register with the forward edge of the projection 26 to provide an impact surface whose lower edge lies at about the vertical center of the face of the verge plate. The rear edges of the reenforcing plates 28 register with the rear edge of the projection 23 and form therewith a jack impact face which preferably projects slightly rearwardly from the rear edge of the lower part or body of the blade l3.

Th jack impact face and verge-plate impact face of each sinker l2 and I3 is of adequate width to withstand the impacts to which they are subjected and the butts are of suflicient strength to transmit, without bending, the stresses transmitted therethrough, since the thickness of each reenforcing plate is not less than, and is preferably greater than half the thickness of a wall between adjacent sinker slideways, and the combined thickness of a sinker blade and its re enforcing plates is not less than, and is preferably greater than, the center to center distance between adjacent slideways.

When sets of blades l2 and is are inserted in the sinker bed with a sinker of each set in alternation; the reenforced rear portion of each sinker 12 .will largely fill the distance between a pair of blades l3, and the reenforced rear portion of each sinker l3 will largely fill the distance between a pair of blades l2, but since the reenforced portions of th blades l2 are in a different vertical plane from the reenforced portions of the blades l3, each of the blades is free to be moved independently of the other a distance equal to the desired lead in couliering or all the blades may be moved simultaneously by the catch bar during knitting, and the reenforced portions of on set of blades form supports tending to prevent any marked deflection of non-reenforced portions of the other set of blades adjacent thereto. In other words, in an assemblage of a bank of measuring sinkers l2 and IS in a sinker bed in alternation, but preferably with a like sinker at each end of the bed, the aggregate thicknesses of the actuator impact surfaces of all th sinkers will be considerably greater than the over-all width of the sinker bank, but the sinkers are individually freely movable in the slideways because the actuator impact surfaces of adjacent sinkers lie in different vertical planes, and hence may overlap without interfering with one another.

Similarly the aggregate widths of the verge plate impact faces of all the sinkers will be considerably greater than the over-all width of the bank of sinkers, but as such faces lie in different planes, they do not interfere with one another.

The plane between the top of the verge plate impact face of a sinker l2 and the bottom of the verge plate impact face of a sinker I3 is substantially midway of the height of the face of the verge plate l9 against which they abut. The sinkers l2 and l 3 of each pair are complementary to one another in that each has a butt provided with a reenforcement extending across morethan half the distance between them but so disposed in different planes as to permit their relative rectilineal movement.

To advance the sinkers l2 and I3 one after another consecut vely and without interfering with one another, and so that the kinking by one sinker is completed before the kinking by the next succeeding sinker is commenced, I provide consecutive actuators or jacks having impact surfaces in different horizontal planes. The body of each jack is supported laterally by spacers or combs, and the combined thickness of a spacer and jack body is greater than the center to center distance between sinker slideways and yet a spacer and two jack bodies together need occupy no greater space lengthwise of the machine than is commony occupied by a single spacer and jack in a standard type of fullfashioned machine. Each jack preferably has an impact face and a body greater in thickness or width than half the center to center distance between adjacent sinkers and each pair of jacks is spaced from the adjacent pair by a spacer having a thickness greater than one-half such center to center distance. Both sides of the body of each jack are supported by a spacer, but a spacer and two jacks need occupy no more room lengthwise of the machine than is normally occupied by a spacer and one jack and of equal strength and fewer spacers are required proportionately to the number of jacks.

The center bed 2 has adjustably mounted thereon a jack bed (Figs. 1, 2, 4) comprising a base 30 provided with a slotted rib 3|, brackets 32 fixed to the base, and slotted guide rods 33, g

34 and 35 fixed to the brackets. The slots in the rib 3| and guide rods 33, 34 and 35' are aligned with one another so as to receive and firmly hold against lateral displacement the combs or spacers 36 for supporting jacks against side thrust and preventing frictional drag of one jack by another as they are rocked about their axes. The bases of the combs are clamped by the clamp bar 31 which is bolted to the bed 30. A shaft 38 is mounted in bearings of the brackets 32 and is held against rotation by the engagement of lugs 39 on the combs in a slot 40 in the shaft. 7

A pair of complementary jacks M and H are mounted between each pair of combs 33 with their heads 43 and 44 respectively in alignment with the respective impact faces formed by the reenforced rear edges of the respective sinkers l2 and [3. The jack 4| has an open bearing 45 journalled on the shaft 38 between adjacent spacers 36 and both sides of the entire body of this jack between its head 43 and bearing 45 are guided and laterally sup-ported by such spacers The jack 42 has its head portion M and its open bearing portion 46 offset laterally from the intermediate portion of its body, and the open bearing 46 is mounted on the shaft 33 in the plane of one of the spacers 3B whichhas a cutout portion A! for the reception of the hub formed by the laterally offset portion 43. The offset head portion 64 liesabove and in substantial alignment with the complementary spacer 33 but the intermediate portion of the body of the jack t2 lies between and is laterally supported on both sides of its plane of action by the adjacent spacers 33 to prevent sidewise deflection of the jack; The intermediate body portion of the jack 42 lies in the plane of and behind the intermediate body portion of the jack 4|, which has a tail piece 58 projecting upwardly behind the intermediate portion of the jack 42, the tail piece being spaced from the body of the jack 4| sufiiciently to permit re1ative movement of the jacks for giving a desired lead of one sinker relatively to another.

A pair of jacks 4| and 42 and a spacer must all fit within a space no wider than the center to center distance between one sinker slideway to the next-but-one sinker slideway, and by the construction and arrangement above described each of the jacks and the spacer may have a width nearly equal to the center to center distance between sinker slideways and the walls of the spacer slots are also made of adequate thickness and strength.

A back-stop rod 49 has reduced ends engaged in bifurcated bearings 59 on the brackets 32 and prevents the inadvertent dislodgement of the jacks from the shaft 38. This back-stop is readily removable by lifting it out of its bearings.

Each of the jacks 4| has a rearwardly projecting boss 5| for the engagement of the bent head of a spring 52 mounted in a spring bar 53. (Figs. 1 and 4.) Each jack 42 has a boss 54 projecting rearwardly therefrom beyond the ends of the bosses 5| for the engagement of the longitudinally grooved head 55 of a spring 55 above the plane of the spring 52. The heads of the springs 52 have a width but slightly less than the distance between the adjacent faces of adjoining bosses 54, which act to prevent the lateral displacement of the springs 52 from the bosses 5|.

The butts of the springs 52 are clamped between the bar 53 and a spacer 57, and the butts of the springs 55 are clamped between the spacer 51 and the clamp bar 58, which is secured to the bar 53 by bolts 59. If desired, elastic fillers may be inserted between the spring butts and the surfaces of the spacer 57. The spring bar 53 is journalled in bearings 6| on the jack bed 30 and is rocked, through a link and mechanism hereinafter described, to disengage the springs from the jacks during the manipulation of the sinkers by the catch bar and to restore the springs to proper position prior to couliering.

The springs hold the jacks in retracted position until the latter are acted upon by the slur cam. When the action of the latter rocks the spring-engaged tails of the jacks past dead center position, the springs tend to move and hold the sinker butts uniformly against the verge plate, thereby giving greater uniformity to the kinks.

Upon the engagement of the sinker butts by the catch bar, the jack-spring bar is rocked to disengage the springs from the jacks.

The couliering is effected by means of a slur 52 which is bolted to the slide 63 on the slur box 4, the slide being adjustable through the micromits bottom toward its top. The side faces 69 and 10' of the slur are beveled rearwardly from the bottom toward the top and rearwardly from the front toward the rear. (Figs. 10, 11.) On the movement of the slur in one direction the position of the surface 79 indicated by the forwardly and downwardly extending line 10b acts as a cam surface having its nadir toward the rear and its apex at the front of the slur and engages in succession the surface 65 of successive jacks 4| to move them forwardly from normal position of rest indicated in Fig. 4 to the foremost position indicated in Fig. 6, thereby moving the impact face of the sinker l2 into engagement with the verge plate. During this movement of the slur. the portion of the face 10 indicated by the forwardly and downwardly extending line 10a acts as a cam surface having its nadir toward the rear and its apex at the front of the slur but trailing the nadir and apex of the surface 10b. The cam surface 76a engages first the surface 61 of the first jack 42 which is in the same space as the first jack 4|, and moves this jack 42 from its rearward position shown in Fig. 4 to its forward position shown in Fig. 6, but such movementof the jack 42 lags behind the movement of the first jack 4| a distance equal to the desired lead of one sinker over another, which should equal or slightly exceed the depth of the largest kink to be imparted to the yarn, so that during the formation of a kink by one sinker there is no tension or retardation imposed upon the yarn by any subsequent sinker. In other words, and as indicated in Fig. 3, the kinking of a yarn should be completed by one sinker before the yarn is kinked or even bent by the next succeeding sinker, and preferably there should be avoided any engagement whatever between the notch of a succeeding sinker until after the preceding sinker has completely formed its loop. Hence, the notch of one sinker should not pass the inner edge of the needle line until after the preceding sinker has fully completed its forward movement, and the lead of one sinker over the other should be sufficiently great so that even when the carrier has reached the end of itsstroke and the angle of the yarn laid to the needles is at the maximum, the notch of a succeeding sinker should not touch the yarn until the preceding sinker has completed the formation of its loop. The cam surfaces b and 10a, continue to move the jacks 4| and 42 of successive pairs in alternation.

.On the movement of the slur in the opposite direction, there is no jack 42 in the first bed space, and hence the portion of the face 59 indicated by the forwardly and downwardly extending line 6% acts as a cam surface on the surface in the first space. The portion of the face 65 indicated by the forwardly and downwardly extending line 65a then acts as a cam face upon the jack sur face 67 in the second space and the cam surface 69?) then acts on the jack surface 56 in the second space, and so on so that the proper lead between sinkers is maintained. When the slur moves in the direction in which the surface 69 is active, the apex and nadir of the cam surface 65b trail the apex and nadir of the cam surface 69a.

The need for the peculiar shape of the slur will be apparent from a consideration of Fig.111. As there indicated, when the slur is in posit-ion B while couliering in the direction of arrow A, the nadir of the lower cam surface 15b is engaging the first short jack 4| and the nadir of the upper cam surface 56a is still out of engagement. On moving the slur one space to the left to position C, the nadir of the upper cam surface We engages the first long jack 42; the first shortjack having been further advanced in that position of the slur by the lower cam surface 15b. On moving the slut another space to position D, the nadir of the lower cam surface 79b engages the :second short jack 4| and further advances the first short jack. The upper cam surface 19a has also further advanced the first long jack 42, but it is trailing the first short jack M in the proper relation, and so on.

When the slur is in position B in couliering in the direction of the arrow A, the nadir of the lower cam surface 6% first engages the first short jack 4| and the nadirof the upper cam surface 59a is still out of engagement since there is no jack 42 in the first space. On moving the slur one space to the right to position C, the nadir of the upper cam surface 69a engages the first long jack 42; the first short jack 4! having been further advanced in that position by the lower cam surface 89b, and the nadir of the cam surface E9?) being in alignment with a spacer. On moving the slur to position D, the cam 69b advances the second short jack M which is trailing the first long jack 42 in the proper relation, and so on.

As soon as the sinkers have all been advanced so that the impact faces of their butts engage the verge plate, the descent and closure of the beards of the needles and the retraction and manipulation of the sinkers by the catch bar may be begun. These movements are preferably effected by cams which act oppositely to one another during the major portion of the operation but whose tendency at the conclusion of couliering is to advance instead of reverse the cam shaft should the power be thrown off, and whose tendency at the end of the knitting operation is to reverse rather than advance the cam shaft, should the power he then thrown off, so

that there is never any tendency for the inertia of the machine to cause a movement of the yarn carrier at an inopportune time.

By balancing the action of one cam against the other during the loop drawing operation, and supporting the weight of the needle bar and catch bar and their connected levers on the cams instead of by springs, light springs may be subdriven in the direction of the arrow. A light spring 19 may be connected with the lower end of the arm 15 and with a bracket 89 to maintain continuous registry of the roller 19 with the periphery of the cam 11. The weight of the needle bar and its attachments may be thus carried by the cam and not by the spring, and the upward'movement of the needle bar is positive while its downward movement may be yielding.

The rocking movement of th needle bar 9, to move the needles toward the presser bar If!" adjacent to the sinker bed 19, may be effected without any initial outward rocking of the needle bar, through the arms 9| pivotally connected with the arms 82 which are provided with notches 83 and 84 for the engagement of pins 95 on the levers 86 which are oscillated through loop size regulators and presser cams (not shown) on the main cam shaft 18.

The needles may normally stand at a greater distance from the presser edge in forming loops of given size than is possible where dividing sinkers are used and the needle bar rocked outward as such sinkers advance, hence a greater number or heavier carrier tubes may be used in my machine than heretofore.

The catch bar 2| is supported on arms 81 having their forward ends connected, through a ball and socket joint, with the usual links 98 which are pivotally connected with arms 99 fixed to a shaft 99. The shaft 99 has fixed thereto and depending therefrom an arm 9| having on its end a roller 92 engaging the periphery of a catch bar elevating cam 93 on the cam shaft 13.

The opposite ends of the arms 81 are pivotally connected with arms 94 fixed on a shaft 95. The shaft 95 has fixed thereto an arm 99 provided with rollers 91 which rest on and are actuated by the periphery of the cam 98 fixed on the cam shaft 18. A light spring 99 may be extended from the end of the arm 96 to a bracket I99 on the frame to prevent the roller 91 being thrown away from the periphery of the cam 98, but the Weight of the lever 96 and its connected parts is carried by the cam and not by the spring, and the retraction of the catch bar is positive and its advance movement may be yielding.

The cams 11 (Fig. 1A.) and 98 (Fig. 1B) are shaped and positioned relatively to one another and to the rollers 16 and 91 (Fig. 1C) sothat immediately after the completion of couliering the rollers 19 and 91 respectively engage portions of the respective cams 11 and 93 which are of progressively decreasing radius and incline toward their axes, so that the tendency of the weight resting on these cams is to, bias the machine forward, or at least retard reversal of the movement of the cam shaft 18 should the power be thrown off at the end of couliering. Thisprevents the smashes heretofore resulting from the tendency of Cotton type machines to reverse and move the carriers back over the projected sinkers if the machine is brought to a stop immediately after couliering.

It will be observed that in my construction the portion of the needle-bar cam 11 between the points 1111 and 11b is substantially concentric so as to hold the needle bar in the elevated position throughout the couliering movement while the slur cook 62 is projecting the sinkers. During this period, the periphery of the cam 98 between the points 98a and 93b is very gradually inclining inwardly on continuously shorter radii to slowly move the catch bar 2| toward the front, the catch bar being free from any load (Figs. 1, 17, 18). At the completion of the couliering movement, the points 11b and 9% pass the respective rollers 16 and 91 and the cam surfaces respectively incline inwardly toward the axis on continuously shorter radii so as to rapidly complete the final step of the forward movement of the catch bar while it is descending, still free from any load, and so as to start thedescent of the needles, as indicated in Fig. 18. r The inward inclination of both the active surfaces of the cams 11 and 98 effectively prevents any reversal of the cam shaft following a stoppage thereof at the end of couliering. There being no load on the catch bar, the weight-of the parts or a very light spring tension is sufficient to make the roller 91 track on the cam 93 and cause'the advance of the catch bar.

After the catch bar has descended far enough for the engagement of the sinker butts in the catch bar groove (Fig. 19) the curvatures of the cams 11 and 95 are such as to tend to. substantially counteract one another (Fig. 10) so far as imparting any forward or rearward bias to the cam shaft 18 should the power be thrown off during the knitting operation.

After th point 980 passes under the roller 91, the swell of the cam 98 gives a. positive gradual rearward movement to the catch bar in synchronism with the downward and rearward movements of the needles until needle pressing position is reached.

The sinkers are positively retracted after pressing at such rate that the incline of the upper edges of the sinker noses lowers the loops in exact proportion to the yielding downward movement of the needles, so that the loops are maintained under a constant tension until they fall oil the sinker noses. Thi positive retraction of the sinker noses and yielding descent of the needles eliminates the distortion and breakage of loops heretofore occurring in machines having spring retracted catch bars when the retraction of the sinkers was retarded with relation to the descent of the needles.

When the loops are ready to fall off the sinkers onto the upper knock-over bits (Fig. 20), there is a halt in the movement of the sinkers and a rapid acceleration of the movements of the needles. oar is again advanced part way toward the front (Fig. 21) so that their nebs project over the top of the newly formed loops and prevents the rise of the fabric with the rise of the needles under the positive action of the cam H.

The needles are raised and the catch bar is moved back (Fig. 22), by the passage beneath the roller 16 and 97 of the swelling portions of the cams peripheries between the points 11d and Tie and 98d and 982.

The conjunction of the actions of these swelling portions of the two cams TI and 98 at the conclusion of the knitting movement tends to retard or to harmlessly bias backward the cam shaft 18 should the power be thrown off so as to cause the stoppage of the machine at the completion of the knitting movement. There is thereby avoided any tendency for the machine to over-run and start a new couliering movement when it is desired to stop it at the end of knitting a course to bring new carriers into action.

The catch bar is entirel disconnected from any yarn kinking devices during couliering and immediately after couliering the catch bar is connected with all the yarn kinkin devices. The catch bar has no yarn kinking function but the closed groove of the catch bar does prevent any free movements of individual sinkers and prevents the pushing back of the sinkers by the tension of the yarn during the beard-closing movement of the needles. The movement of the sinker-s during beard-closing and knitting are all uniformly and definitely controlled by the catch bar. This conduces to the uniformit of the loop formation which is further promoted by the fact that in my machine the jack springs perform a function in connection with the formation of every needle loop. whereas in present machines the jack springs function only in connection with alternate loops and perform no function in connection with the formation of intervening loops by the dividing sinkers.

By my improved apparatus and method it is possible to form uniform loops not only with yarns having the elasticity of silk but even with fine yarns composed of rubber or having a rubber core. M-y improved machine may be built with an increased number of knitting sections and run at After the loops clear the sinkers, the catch faster speeds not only in normal knitting but in knitting reel portions, splicing and knitting with rubber. My improvements further avoid. any entanglement and breakage of needles due to lateral bending thereof by heavy yarn tension.

In Figs. 23 to 31A, inclusive, I have illustrated a modification of the mechanism for couliering the sinkers by jacks having axes of oscillation offset from one another and actuated by a slur having ca-ni sLifaCes adjustable relatively to one another.

In this embodiment of my invention the jack bed, comprising the slotted base a and slotted bars 33a, 34a and 35a, has combs or jack spacers 36a (Figs. 29, 29:11) secured therein by a clamp 31a. A pair of shafts 38a and 38b are secured in the side brackets 32a and pass through openings 41a and 47b in the combs 36a. The shafts 38a and 38?) are offset from one another both vertically and horizontally.

A set of flat jacks 41a (Figs. 30, 30A) have heads 33a for engaging the reinforced butts of sinkers l2 and have iub sections provided with open bearings a which are journalled on the shaft 38a. Each jack 4 la lies between and makes close sliding contact with a pair of combs or separators 35a so that each jack is supported against lateral deflection throughout the greater part of its length and particularly above and below the bearing 66a through which th jack is actuated.

Jacks 42aare mounted on the shaft 38b above and behind the jack 4la in each comb space. Each jack 42a has a head (L which is offset laterally from its hub section 4611, so that the heads 44c. lie between and above the heads 43a and in position for engagin the reinforced butts of the sinkers IS. The hub sections have open bearings M1? to permit the jacks to be mounted on the shaft 3% and also have forwardly curved and laterally offset portions 42 which lie in the openings 470 of the spacers 36a and in the plane thereof. This permits the movement of a. slur cock in the recesses 42" to engage bearing surfaces 660. of jacks Ma lying between offset sections 42' of ad jacent jacks 42a, which have surfaces 61a for the engagement of the slur cook.

The offset sections 42' and the heads 44a of the jacks 42a are connected by body sections which lie in the planes of the hub sections 45a and which, together with the hub sections, have surfaces making close sliding fit with combs 36a so as to hold the jack against lateral displacement in either direction.

The jacks 41a and 42a are respectively provided with tail pieces 5m and 54a for the engagement of jack springs 52a and 56a. The springs have heads which are only slightly less in width than the spaces between the combs 36a so that heads of these springs as well as the tail pieces so and 54a are supported by the combs against lateral deflection. The butts of the springs 52a and 56a are clamped to the spring bar 53c by the clamps 58a and the spring bar is rocked by the link 62 as above described.

The rearward surface 45a of each hub section 45a forms an arc concentric with the axis of the shaft 38a and in its movement just clears the tongue 46a of a hub section 46a, which has a forward surface forming an arc concentric with the axis of the shaft 38b. Hence any dislodge merit of a jack 4|a, from its shaft 38a is prevented by the tongue 46a and any dislodgement of the jack 42a from its shaft 38b is prevented by the stop bar 34a. The thickness of metal from which the spacers 35a and jacks 4 la and 42a are formed may be the same as the thickness of the corresponding parts 36, 4| and 42, since in each case a part of one jack is offset to lie in a spacer opening.

A slur cock 62a is mounted on the depending arm 83a of a slide 63b which is mounted on the slur box 4a between and in sliding engagement with the legs of a yoke-like slide 630 which is mounted in a slide-way in the box 4a and carries the slur cock 62b. The slide 631) and slur cock 62a are adjustable relatively to the slide 630 and a slur cock 62b by a micrometer screw 64' fixed to the slide 63b and passing through an aperture in the slide 630, the screw having thereon a nut 64" disposed between bearings of the slide 630. When the slur cocks 62a and 621) are suitably adjusted relatively to one another, they are secured together by a slotted and apertured slide 63d and bolts 63], 63g and'63h. The slides are retained in their slide-ways by a cap 637' fixed to the slur box 4a and containing an opening 63k and are together adjustable through the micrometer screw 64a and nut 65a.

The slur cam 62a has faces 68' and 69' and lil similar in contour to the lower halves of the faces 68, 69 and H3 of the slur cook 62, and the slur cock 62b has faces 63", 63" and in" similar in contour to the upper halves of the faces 68, 69 and it! of the slur cock 62, v

The faces of the cam 62b are so shaped and positioned that they act to advance the sinkers 13 one step behind the advancement of the complementary sinkers I2 by the slur cam 62a in either direction of movement of the slur box. The slur cam 62a lies in front of the slur cam 52b and enters the recesses 42" of the jacks 42a to actuate the jacks 4 la by engagement with the bearing surfaces 66a thereof which project rearwardly beyond the rearward surface of the offset sections 42 of jacks 42a in any operating positions of the respective jacks.

In Figs. 32 to 38A of the drawings, I have shown an embodiment of my invention in which by making adjoining sinkers of diiferent lengths, such sinkers may be reenforced in the same'plane without interfering with the action of the jacks, whose bodies as Well as whose heads lie in different planes.

In this embodiment of the invention, the slotted sinker bed it! contains the sinkers l2a and [3a. The high sinkers [2a are of generally similar shape to the sinkers l2 excepting that the reenforcing plates are thinner, and, as shown, the reenforced sections are of less thickness than the enter to center distance between sinker grooves. The projections 811 of the sinkers |2a extend to the tops of the butts Fla, and the rearwardly projecting tails of the sinkers and reenforcing plates are somewhat longer than in the case of the sinkers l2.

The sinkers [3a are shorter than the sinkers I20. and similar in general contour to the sinkers l3, but the reenforcing plates of the sinkers I30, are shown thinner than those on the sinkers l3 and provide a base reenforcement 26a lying adjacent to the reenforcement 22a of the body section of the sinker 12a. Upwardly projecting sections 21a and 28a of the reenforcing plate stiffen the butts and rear edges of the sinkers 13a. When the sinkers are assembled in the sinker bed, there is sliding clearance between the reenforcements of the sinkers, and the rear edges of the sinkers l3a lie in advance of the rear edges of the sinkers 12a 2. distance in excess of the maximum lead imparted to one sinker over the other during couliering.

The sinkers l2a and We may be actuated by jacks mounted in pairs in the same space of a jack bed on either one or two shafts, as hereinbefore described, but are preferably actuated by sets of jacks mounted in superposed jack beds in which the space of one jack bed is aligned with the spacer of the superposed jack bed, viz., the spacers of one bed are staggered relative to the spacers of the other bed.

In this embodiment of my invention, the lower jack bed comprises a base 3% adjustably mounted in the center bed 2 (Fig. 32) and having at the ends thereof brackets 32b (Fig. 33) which sup-port a slotted head 3ilc, (similar to the base Sfib) and slotted guide rods 33b, 330, 351) and 350. The slots in the base 302) and in the rods 33b and 35?) are staggered with respect to the slots in the head Site and in the rods 33c and 350 so that the combs or spacers 36b in the lower bed are aligned with the spaces between the spacers 350 in the upper bed.

The brackets 321) have shafts 38b and 380 (Fig. 32) mounted therein and passing through apertures in the combs to provide supports for the jacks Mb and lZc respectively. One jack 4lb is mounted in each space between the spacers 36b with the open bearing of its hub section journalled on the shaft 3821 so that the body of the jack is guided and laterally supported substantially throughout its length by the spacers 3627 on either side thereof. The heads of these jacks project above the spacers and are movable into engagement with the sinkers 12a to advance the same one after the other. A jack 420 is mounted ineach of the spaces between the spacers 360 with the open bearing of its hub section journalled on the shaft 38c so that its body is guided and supported laterally by the spacers 360 on either side thereof. The heads of the jacks 42c depend below the bottoms of the spacer 36c and are movable into engagement with the rear edges of the sinkers lea so as to advance such sinkers one after another in alternation with theadvance of the sinkers l2a.

It Will be noted that no parts of the paths of the upper jacks intersect the paths of the lower jacks and that the projection of the rear edges of the sinkers 12a backward beyond the rear edges of the sinkers Ita avoids any need for the passage of the jack heads between any of the sinkers so that these heads may be thicker than the sinker contact surfaces, if desired.

The jacks may be provided with tail members 51b and 540 respectively for the engagement of springs 52b and 560 mounted on spring bars 53b and 530.

The jacks Mb have bearing surfaces 661) for the engagement of a slur cam 62?) and the jacks 420 have bearing surfaces 670 for the engagement of a slur cam 620. These slur cams may be mounted upon slur boxes in any suitable manner. The slur cams are inverted with respect to one another but the nadir and apex of the respective pairs of complementary cam surfaces are in vertical alignment, as indicated in Figs. 35 to 36a. The cams are thus positioned relatively to one another so as to move the respective jacks in alternation a distance equal to the desired lead of one jack over another requisite to effect the complete kinking of the yarn by one sinker before the next sinker contacts with the yarn.

In Figs. 39 to 42A, I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in a machine having independently adjustable verge plates, one of which controls the forward position of the high sinkers and the other of which controls the forward position of the low sinkers.

In this construction, there are inserted in alternate slots of the slotted sinker bed II] the sinkers |2d having the general contour of sinkers l2, but having 2. depending butt IT in addition to the upwardly extending catch bar butt lid. L-shaped reenforcing plates 220! are riveted to the depending but l1 and to the rearwardly projecting tail of the sinker. The reenforced depending butts H are movable by jacks, such as 4|, 4|a or 4|b, into engagement with a verge plate |9d. To adjust this verge plate, it may be biased rearwardly by leaf springs |9' which bear against a wall of the sinker bed. When in proper position, the verge plate lad is clamped in position against the action of the springs by means of bolts I9 threaded in the verge plates and passing through elongated slots in the sinker bed. To adjust the position of the verge plate ltd, the catch bar 2i may be engaged with the butts lld to move the sinkers |2cZ into their forward position, which preferably will leave a clearance of a few thousandths of an inch between the front edges of the non-reenforced butts Il'd and the main verge plate l9. In such position of the sinkers I211, the spring l9 press the contact edge of the auxiliary verge plate |9d against the reenforced butts I1 and the verge plate is then clamped in such position by tightening up the bolts I9.

The slots in the sinker bed between the sinkers |2d have inserted therein sinkers |3d having the general contour of the sinkers l3, but reenforced by reenforcing plates having extensions 21d the full extent of the catch bar butts and forward extensions 21 which, with the rearward extension 28d, form a recess 26d in which the reenforcing plates 22d of the sinkers |2d are movable a distance at least as great as the maximum lead of one sinker over the other during couliering.

It will be understood that the sinkers |3d may be advanced by jacks, such as the jacks 42, 42a or 420, in alternation with the advancement of the jacks 1201 by jacks, such as the jacks 4|, Ma and 4 lb.

In Figs. 43 to @5A of the drawings, I have indicated an embodiment of my improvements in I a machine in which the verge-plate-contacting surfaces of the sinker butts are offset from one another and engage correspondingly offset contact faces of a verge plate or plates. struction, the sinker |2e is similar in most respects with the sinker I2 and the sinker |3e is similar in most respects to the sinker l3 excepting that its butt has a projection 2|e extending forwardly beyond the front face of the butt lie when the sinkers are in their foremost position. The verge plate (Fig. 43) is correspondingly provided with contacting faces |9e and I96 for the engagement of the sinker butts when such sinkers are advanced respectively by jacks, such as 4|, Ma and MI), and 42, 42a and 420. The verge plate may be longitudinally grooved adjacent to the face |9e to avoid any possibility of engagement therewith by the projection 21c.

In Figs. 46 to 48A, inclusive, I have indicated an embodiment of my invention in a construction providing slideways along both edges of reenforced sections of all of the sinkers in all positions thereof so as to avoid any deflection laterally of one sinker against another.

In this construction the sinker bed l3 has In this conbolted thereto a slotted bar l0" above the slotted cap l0 and preferably extending both forward and rearward beyond the contact face of the verge plate IS. The bottom portions of the sinkers l2) and the reenforcing plates 22f thereon are generally similar to like positions of the sinker I2 and reenforcing plates 22, but the sinkers are provided with an upper extension containing a groove Hf for the reception of the forward lip of the catch bar which engages the butt Hg. The upper extension of the sinker extends forwardly from the groove I'if to a point a substantial distance in front of the verge plate engaging surface l8 and such forward extension has an upper edge |2g which slides in a groove in a slot in the bar H)".

The sinkers |3f alternate with the sinkers |2f and the bottoms of the lower portions thereof are generally similar in contour to the lower portions of the sinkers It. The sinkers |3f have upwardly extending portions containing grooves 21] for the reception of the forward lip of the catch bar which engages the butt 219. These sinkers also have extensions on the upward projections extending forwardly beyond the faces which contact the verge bar, and the edges of such extensions slide in slots in the bar I. The reenforcing plates 28 reenforce the upper extension of the sinkers from the rear edges contacted by the jacks to the fronts of the forward extensions, being spaced sufficiently below the top edges of such forward extensions to permit the latter to slide in the slots of the bars I0".

It will thus be seen that when the sinkers are retracted to their rearmost positions they still have reenforced sections lying between the grooves in the members l0 and I0, and as the sinkers are about to contact with the verge plate they have edges engaged in the slots both above and below the verge plate and in the front of and the rear of the verge plate contacting surface so that bending is reduced to a minimum without excessive increase in the width of the sinker bed. The two sets of sinkers may be respectively advanced one at a time in succession by sets of jacks, such as 4| and 42 or Ma. and 42a.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination with a rocking needle bar having mounted therein hooked needles with movable catches, a fixed press bar, means for rocking said needle bar and thereby rocking the full length of said needles en masse toward said press bar to operate said catches, of measuring sinkers movable sequentially, and means including a reciprocating slur cock for moving said sinkers successively and consecutively between consecutive needles aforesaid, each sinker forming a kink of yarn into the final form in which it is to be knitted before any succeeding sinker forms a kink of yarn, and means including cams having coordinated eccentric sections for beginning the retraction of said sinkers concurrently with the beginning of the rocking of said needles toward said press bar and immediately after the forward movement of the last of the measuring sinkers and maintainsubstantially constant the distance between the yarn engaging surfaces of the sinkers and needles respectively during the initial rocking of the needles toward the press bar to maintain substantially uniform the tension on yarn lying between the sinkers and needles.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a rocking needle bar having mounted therein hooked needles with movable catches, a fixed press bar, means for rocking said needle bar and thereby rocking the full lengths of said needles en masse about a common axis toward said press bar to operate said catches and tauten fell loops of a fabric being knitted, consecutively movable measuring sinkers, means for moving said sinkers successively past consecutive needles to form consecutive kinks, each sinker, one after another, forming a kink, of the final size to be knit through fell loops of said fabric, before the next succeeding sinker forms a kink, and said means first named rocking said needles from a stationary substantially vertical sinkering position and in a direction contra to the direction of the aforesaid movements of said sinkers immediately after the completion of the last sinker movement, and means for moving said sinkers concurrently with and in the general direction of said last named movement of said needles.

3. In a knitting machine having a fabric take up, the combination with a rocking needle bar having mounted therein a bank of needles and means for rocking said needle bar and thereby rocking the full lengths of said needles en masse about a common axis and thereby tautening fell loops of a fabric connected with said take up, of measuring sinkers consecutively arranged without intervening sinkers between them, means for moving the successive sinkers consecutively to form kinks in final form between the needles consecutively, said means first named tautening said fell loops immediately upon the completion of the movement of the last sinker and without any intervening rocking of said needles in the direction of the aforesaid movements of said sinkers and means including said needles for drawing kinks formed by the measuring sinkers through said fell loops while maintaining the original size of the sinker-formed kinks.

4. In a knitting machine having a stationary presser bar and a series of needles fixedly mounted in a rocking holder, means for giving said needles en masse movements up and down and in and out relatively to said presser bar, sinkers movable singly in sequence between the consecutive needles, jacks consecutively actuating the sinkers, a reciprocating slur bar consecutively actuating said jacks, a catch bar for moving said sinkers contra to the movement thereof by the jacks immediately after the actuation of the last of said sinkers by said jacks and without any intervening movement of said needles in the direction of the movement of said sinkers by said jacks, and means including eccentric cam surfaces concurrently moving said catch bar and rocking said holder to effect said last named movement of said sinkers and moving said needles from sinkering position toward said presser bar.

5. In a knitting machine having a stationary presser bar and rocking needle bar having mounted therein a bank of needles movable en masse in and out and up and down relatively to said presser bar and at least as many individually movable measuring sinkers as needles, means for sliding the sinkers consecutively forward toward the consecutive needles respectively, means for concurrently moving the needles from their sinkering position en masse toward the presser bar and means for moving backward the sinkers en masse immediately after the forward movement of the last of the sinkers and without any intervening movement of said needles away from the presser bar so as to maintain substantially uniform and constant the tension on yarn between the needles and sinkers.

6. In a knitting machine having a bank of needles movable en masse and means for moving said needles en masse, a series of sinkers having thread engaging notches in a common plane and movable consecutively past consecutive needles disposed in a common plane, anda plurality of series of jacks for advancing said sinkers consecutively, the sinker engaging surfaces of one set of jacks having a common plane spaced from the common plane of the sinker engaging surfaces of the other set of jacks.

'7. In a kitting machine having a plurality of complementary sets of sinkers, said sets of sinkers having thread engaging notches in a common plane and butts with jack engaging surfaces in different planes, a plurality of complementary sets of jacks, said sets of jacks having sinker-engaging heads in different planes, and means for operating a jack of one set and then a jack of'the other set in alternation to advance the sinkers consecutively.

8. In a knitting machine, the combination with a group of sinkers, of a set of long jacks and a set of short jacks for operating said sinkers, all of the jacks of one of said sets being intermediate the end jacks of the other of said sets, and a slur for operating said jacks consecutively from either end of the group of sinkers, said slur operating an end jack before the actuation of the intermediate jacks and operating an end jack after the actuation of the intermediate jacks, regard less of the end from which the operation of the jacks by the slur begins.

9. In a knitting machine, the combination with a plurality of sets of sinkers, of means for operating said sinkers consecutively and including a reciprocable slur having cam surfaces for actuating said sinkers consecutively on movement of the slur in one direction and cam surfaces for operating said sinkers consecutively on movement of the slur in the other direction, each of said cam surfaces having an apex and a nadir, the apex of the cam surface actuating one set of sinkers leading the apex of the cam surface actuating the other set of sinkers on movement of the slur in one direction, and the apex of the cam surface actuating the first set of sinkers trailing the apex of the cam surface actuating the second set of sinkers on movement of the slur in the opposite direction.

10. In a knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of sets of sinkers, and means for actuating said sinkers and including a plurality of sets of jacks and a slur, the jacks of one set having slur engaged surfaces in a plane spaced from the slur engaged surfaces of the other set of jacks, and the slur having cam surfaces in different planes engaging the jacks on movement of the slur in on direction and cam surfaces in different planes engaging the jacks on movement of the slur in the opposite direction, the cam surfaces each having a nadir and an apex, and the nadir of the cam surface engaging one set of jacks leading the nadir of the cam surface engaging the other set of jacks on movement of the slur in one direction and the nadir of the cam surface engaging the first set of jacks trailing the nadir of the cam surface engagin the second set of jacks on movement of the slur in the opposite direction.

11. A knitting machine slur having a com-plementary pair of cam surfaces on each side of its center, each of said cam surfaces having an apex and a nadir, the apex of the lower cam of one pair of cam surfaces approaching nearer the center 

